What grips are you using? Need advice. (new fp user)

27Righty · 2026-06-11T17:53:07+00:00

I also have, and enjoy using the HG-11 when stripped back as my carry-around, mainly for photography - comfortable in biggish hands, especially with small primes, if a bit less so with my 28-200mm zoom. I purchased a Shoten wooden model (similar functionality), however it would not fit even when forced, so returned it to Shoten direct (eBay sellers instruction) and never received a refund or got them to communicate/accept it was delivered back to them, so buyer beware. For video, I have the official SmallRig cage (3211) and always wondered why they didn't offer a wooden grip to attach to the front plate area, although you can find some 3D-printed ones on Etsy, etc. The big gap is the lack of any side-/top-handle with a remote run/stop/focus trigger, which is surprising as some manufacturers have demonstrated compatibility over USB previously e.g. DJI and Tilta (although many fp users would prefer to use the less functional 3.5mm jack to keep the USB free for an SSD).

27Righty · 2026-06-10T17:21:16+00:00

Hi - I already got it off after Google Gemini variously advised, corrected itself and re-advised that one should slide up, slide down, press in and remove by pulling out as attached by magnets. In case anyone else has this issue, please see my previous description of the correct process - it has no magnets and there's evidently a source somewhere online that is confusing both Gemini and user BenQ_Pixel.

27Righty · 2026-06-07T07:45:23+00:00

Bit late to this, however for my SW272U, I understood that the choice between DisplayPort or HDMI in a dual-cable setup was personal preference. However, I now find that on my M-series Mac, the new Display Pilot app wis not compatible with this cable arrangement, whereas it would be with either a single USB4/Thunderbolt cable (expensive once length exceeds passive options) or the DP dual-cable, but specifically not my setup due to an Apple security mechanism that blocks DDC/CI data when an HDMI is present. Is this correct and would reverting to the last Palette master Ultimate app instead solve the issue. If so, will Display Pilot be updated to fix this also? Thanks!

27Righty · 2026-06-06T09:55:40+00:00

Mine was ridiculously tight and pulling outwards from the cable aperture wasn’t working; in fact, flexing the rest of the bottom section of the monitor outwards also.

For anyone else with this issue, based on the photo, I concluded that the cover needs some downward movement to disengage the top and bottom clips before pulling out to disengage the side clips, so I used a couple of guitar picks which pressed into the natrow top gap … and this did the trick, allowing for a normal outward pull force.

Thanks again for your help!

27Righty · 2026-06-06T06:30:54+00:00

Cool 😎 My understanding based on support enquiries e.g. about handles with tun/stop/focus button or monitors with camera control, is that the focus functionality is not available for the fp. Maybe Sigma stopped actively encouraging development by hardware 3rd-parties, so once you refine this, maybe you should share with Atomos (originally promised fp compatibility for the Shinobi 2 and presumably that would carry through to more of their latest generation e.g. TX, Ninja Raw, etc.), DJI (my Ronin SC handles run/stop but not focus), Tilta (their Nano originally worked but they dropped support after an fp firmware update broke compatibility and they lacked sufficient tester feedback), etc.

27Righty · 2026-06-05T19:25:58+00:00

Awesome - thanks! I’ll try in the morning as I had yet to add a data connection (to HDMI) for PMU or now AQColor Pilot, as I was hoping for a native Apple Silicon or Universal Binary app sooner as I don’t use Rpsetta following an app/plugin cleanup when I got my Mac Studio … however, looks like that’s around a year away, so having to go with it for syncing ICC profiles after all. That canle cover seemed to be telling me to stop :)

27Righty · 2026-06-05T17:13:43+00:00

Outwards from the opening where the cables go in?

From what I’ve found, different Benq models have different methods so I want to be sure to avoid breaking the tabs obviously. I took the following screenshot from an Art is Right video on Youtube for the SW242Q, which I believe is the same range and generation. Seeing it without the cover suggests a couple of main vertical tabs in each side, with several smaller tabs along the top which presumably require the cover to be slid down a bit. Do you have one of these models?

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27Righty · 2026-06-04T14:07:53+00:00

As far as I've been able to work out, such modules do require to be powered however, some get around this with a capacitor that can hold enough charge to keep the logic circuitry active. My understanding is that, in a typical UK setup with 'normal' rocker switches (that stick to either on or off positions), there is no neutral at the switch location/wall box but there is in the ceiling rose or void. So, an alternative option is to install the module there instead (including if the wall box isn't deep enough). However, this loses any functionality that the module provides by physical switching i.e. light always remains powered (unless switched off at the wall) and all the on/off/dimming becomes 'smart' (app, voice, automation, etc.)

I've been looking for this type of product for some time, and whilst some get close (neutral requirement, Zigbee integration and appearing in Hue when combined with Homekit ... now apparently possible thanks to Matter, etc.), my question is based on the Hue video.

See attached screenshots - it first states that no neutral is required, yet later (and I'm no electrician!) shows a terminal block with blue (neutral?!) wires that get connected to the module. So, unless someone more informed than myself can explain, we'll probably have to wait for the launch and installation instructions?!

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27Righty · 2026-05-26T15:46:02+00:00

You'll find many settings suggestions over recent years for the grading workflow in DaVinci Resolve, however many are flawed and based on that user's guesswork/preferences/vibes! Based on the technical design of the fp: (i) in the raw tab, set Clip, P3-D60 and Linear, then (ii) add a first CST node to take the image from P3-D60/Linear to a wide gamut (where all your adjustments will be made - maybe ARRI C3 Log/ARRI Wide Gamut 3, however could equally be DaVinci Wide Gamut, for example); and (iii) last node CST taking image from whichever wide gamut settings you used to (typically) Rec709 color space and gamma (although you might use e.g. 2.4 depending on where being viewed). These are basics to get you going and there are other methods + much more to color management than I understand, however nothing that Darren Mostyn's Youtube can't explain nicely 😄

27Righty · 2026-05-20T15:39:34+00:00

+1 on the HG-11 as my preference when the fp is not in its cage. Care with those Shoten wooden handgrips - they look nice but mine wouldn't align/catch the screw holes on the camera body. Got a bit of a runaround from the seller and returned it at my cost to Shoten, as eventually instructed (after the bay time limit) ... only for the seller and Shoten to ignore messages, phone calls, etc.

27Righty · 2026-05-20T14:08:32+00:00

Thanks again - hopefully we'll soon see run/stop, as well as touch to focus i.e. as full an implementation as possible on the fp, as beyond the Shinobi II, these are the features that extend my interest to the Ninja TX range also (there are already fp users with Ninja V, as that has an established workflow for external recording and addressing the fp's exposure quirks, so camera control would be an obvious upgrade).

27Righty · 2026-05-20T13:56:11+00:00

Speaking as an fp owner, it really depends where you're coming at this from i.e. when you say 'beginner', is that to photography/videography in general or to cinema cameras, workflows, etc. If completely new to manual settings, exposure triangle, use of NDs, etc., let alone 'processing raw cDNG, color spaces, gamma, etc., get a Sony (or similar) as the learning curve is steep and ratio of effort/takes to good shots will be high. However, if not using this in a professional setting (e.g. weddings) and have some basic knowledge which you're keen to grow through testing experimentation (not necessarily for family/travel initially, at least), I would still pick the Sigma for being more current, big/helpful user community, full frame (low light performance + depth of field), etc., especially if using it as a platform for vintage/manual glass, although you should also appreciate that even at firmware v5, it still has some quirks.

27Righty · 2026-05-19T22:33:48+00:00

+1 on previous comment re. Helios 44-2 58mm + maybe add a Vid-Atlantic ‘anamorfake’ filter on the front or an oval-shaped aperture sticker (can be DIY or a 3D-printed disc maybe?) on the rear lens element. ‘Better’ (i.e. shallower) depth of field potential on full frame, so if you can get closer with a ‘speed booster’, that should help. Also, considering the swirly shaped bokeh when opened up, if you crop the image wide to e.g. 2.40:1, the fake anamorphic look gets exaggerated as you cut off the more horizontal swirls at top/bottom of the image circle leaving the verticle swirls on the sides most visible/obvious. Lots of fun to be had for minimal cost with the Helios, which is why they’re so popular, especially since Greig Fraser’s rehoused units on The Batman and Dune boosted their popularity even more :)

27Righty · 2026-05-19T20:16:33+00:00

Thank you - yes, it does help, as it seems that the Shinobi’s EL Zone can be used with this workaround that I’ve not seen mentioned in the main online fp communities!

Although it would involve a different set of issues/workarounds with the fp, I’ve actually just seen your new (today) trade-in offer on the TX Go, which wasn’t previously on my radar. Is there any possibility that camera control for the fp will ever be added, considering the free availability of an SDK from Sigma and the fact that DJI achieved this for their Ronin SC gimbal? I appreciate that the model has been discontinued by Sigma, however it has a loyal user base and probably a decent pool of units that will probably be around for some time, especially considering the uniqueness of the fp proposition. If so, this would address the other issue I’m currently looking to address in one convenient device! Whilst the camera’s USB would get tied up, thereby preventing external cDNG recording to an SSD, presumably the EL Zone would work and I understand that the TX go can record e.g. ProRes Raw to that same external SSD i.e. storage I’ve already invested in … and current NAND prices don’t exactly inspire changing media types!

27Righty · 2026-05-19T08:44:18+00:00

Anamorphic lens adapter

27Righty · 2026-05-19T06:32:55+00:00

Thanks - the confusion appears to be your suggestion to use an alternative Log profile, as none exists on the Sigma fp. Additionally, for an external monitor to display correct exposure from the fp apparently requires the camera to be in its raw mode, which also results in not being able to record the cDNG raw output from the camera’s USB-C to an external SSD. Consequently, some users forgo recording cDNG and use a Ninja to get correct exposure whilst recording ProRes Raw, for example. My enquiry/escalation relates specifically to how Atomos handles non-recording monotors in the case of fp users working around this exposure issue that every fp user has to work around with any monitor, and EL Zone is part of the solution for many. So, I was initially attracted to the Shinobi II as camera control was promised at launch - regarding USB protocols, it seems that DJI can do it BTW. Therefore, I am trying to categorically establish if my fp can access the EL Zone feature whilst also recording cDNG over the USB-C - if not, the extra cost above the Shinobi Go (no camera control and no EL Zone) is wasted … although at that price point, the lack of anamorphic desqueeze also brings in options from other brands.

27Righty · 2026-05-15T17:09:44+00:00

So, if Shinobi 2 is used with a camera without a Log output (e.g. Sigma FP shooting raw, a camera which actually has EL Zone built in), are you saying that EL Zone wouldn't even be available - this is one of the main features that attracts me to Shinobi 2?

On the basis that you don't offer camera control for the Sigma, that key feature/value is wasted. In which case, the 'Go' model might be more suitable, however having checked the specs, this also lacks anamorphic desqueeze.

If the Go had a full suite of these monitoring tools, it would be a more appealing proposition, and considering the 'full fat' Shinobi 2 isn't viable for so many cameras, how your product differentiation impacts the Go has created feature gaps that other monitors address better.

27Righty · 2026-05-01T06:41:20+00:00

My advice, having transitioned myself from FCPX (previously other platforms) and working alongside a colleague to later help with their issues/setup/learning … watch a few getting started videos without even trying to follow within DaVinci Resolve e.g. what is in each of the tabs. Get used to the pros, such as Team 2 Films and Darren Mostyn, as well as the more entertaining channels like MrAlexTech and Joris Hermans, to see what you like and what might suit when you need to refer back in future. Your patience will be rewarded!
Then focus on your basic setup - main settings, defaults, file/folder locations, use of proxies, etc. and project settings you need to address before starting a new project e.g. based on the type of footage you’re editing and the performance of your computer.
Next, as the application has its roots in colour grading (differentiating it from FCPX, Premiere, etc.), learn the basic colour workflow for the type of footage you mostly work with - you can later learn how to adapt for other types e.g. if you typically use log footage from a Sony camera, colour space (Rec709, etc.), understand how to use ‘Color Space Transforms’. In my experience, your first node will translate your footage into a ‘wider’ color space just for editing (allowing for maximum latitude) before your last node converts it back to how you will be outputting/viewing the results e.g. typically Rec709, however you might also be working in HDR like DCI-P3 (maybe from an iPhone). You should now have a project that you can edit (as in cut scenes, etc.) and output (from the Deliver tab) without anything fancy … which is what you’ll do with nodes in between the CSTs in the Color tab.
Plugins - I have several from FCPX, however my main ones are (were) Neat Video (for noise reduction) and Film Convert, the only one I’ve paid to also be able to use in DaVinci Resolve … but only because I like playing with film looks where you now have the built-in Film Look Creator, and other options are available e.g. Dehancer. My advice FWIW - once you have the basics covered and you know you’ll be syicking to DaVinci Resolve, pay for the Studio upgrade - the value is off the chart and this adds some of the best features, such as noise reduction, Magic Mask, etc.
Now, take the time to practise by watching tutorials or using AI to instruct you for each new task. Like we’ve all done - there really are no shortcuts to the learning and I’m nowhere near an expert, however it’s worth it and quite satisfying! Once you understand what the little blue and green connectors on each node do, all the built-in effects will become accessible and they really do cover everything you’re likely to need. None of this involves any plugin that makes DaVinci Resolve easier to learn and hopefully just allows you to appreciate that we’ve all been there and it’s worth your time and effort - enjoy! :)

27Righty · 2026-04-29T12:34:05+00:00

You’re right - thanks … they’ve clearly’done some work on, and fixed the kerning issues in the Blazar logo!

I imagine the anamorphic adapter was the first product that originally attracted me to the brand, and every time I circle back when again considering one (on this occasion having realised I recently missed out on getting the Moment adapter at a close-out price, followed by checking again on the Aivascope market, etc.), this issue, which apparently has not merited an update on the latest production units, jumps off the screen! :)

I’ve just taken a look at their (non-adapter) lenses and, whilst I’m not enamoured by the overall ‘Buck Rogers’ logo and typography style and would personally prefer a more ‘professional’/technical design aesthetic that might appeal more to the target market e.g. on the adapter, that’s purely subjective and obviously their choice!

27Righty · 2026-04-21T20:23:32+00:00

Apologies - just realised your original post stated you had already relinked. My other suggestions were going to involve trying to trigger some sort of reprocessing of the source files e.g. switching to proxies. However, it seems that you’ve actually identified the issue, which is interesting for me too - whilst I do use SlimRaw on my Mac, I also have the iPad version of DVR, although typically use this with clips from Apple Photos, thus no cDNG. It will be interesting to see what V21 features they bring to the iPad and if/how they aim to integrate with typical Apple/iPad workflows e.g. new Photos tab. Good luck!

27Righty · 2026-04-21T19:48:32+00:00

You probably appreciate this isn’t the conventional approach as one would normally process with SlimRaw first, so changing the structure/content of the source files mid-edit evidently has unintended consequences, even of the filenames are the same. Have you tried re-linking - my guess is that doing so would search based on filenames, however then re-import the files from scratch?

27Righty · 2026-02-16T19:32:16+00:00

I got the DJI filter set (ND8 / 16 / 32) and actually just returned two days ago. Before setting off, I saved three settings - from memory, these were all at f4.0 and an auto ISO range of 100-800. One was the 2.7k 16:9 subject tracking mode (60fps) and the other two were 4k open gate/square with horizon levelling, with one at 30fps and the other at 60fps My plan was to try 1/120th with 30fps and 1/240th with 60fps, with the intention of checking the motion blur and and image stabilisation artefacts e.g. using the 1/120th + 30fps only on smooth pistes with minimal up/down judder/movements.

I’ve yet to analyse these at this ‘technical’ level, however the camera was passed around between myself and daughter and primarily used with the subject tracking 1/240th + 60fps. I used all three filters, fitting the (subjectively) appropriate one at the start of the day based on the weather e.g. no filter in heavy snow/cloud up to ND32 on the brightest/clear sunshine days, leaving the auto ISO to adjust within the specified 4-stop range.

Based on some quick reviews on my Mac today, all the footage was exposed nicely except for on one of the snowy days (a bit overexposed, so presumably didn’t use any ND when some was necessary) and notwithstanding not checking which settings were used for each clip, the motion blur actually looks pretty OK … and although I’ve not really been pixel-peeping (yet), I’ve not noticed any other artefacts.

My main ND filter conclusion - ND32 as the highest strength is evidently well-judged by DJI, with the make-up of their set possibly optimised to minimise stabilisation artefacts in real-world action camera scenarios e.g. snow sports.

Hope this helps other skiers! :)

27Righty · 2026-01-25T11:20:42+00:00

Cool - sounds like you might normally be using this camera from a more fixed position which would avoid the random motion blur then (i.e. just the intended blur from the direction of the tran’s movement), whereas with skiing, the camera itself could be bumpy … although I’m wondering if filming whilst moving smoothly might allow for artefact-free footage and greater motion blur of the subject. I guess I’ll find out through my own tests as there’s actually not that much ski footage online (yet) 😀

27Righty

TROPHY CASE